Container closure



P. G. MCGOWAN CONTAINER CLOSUREv Filed Dec. 22, 1947 Feb. 17, 1953 Patented Feb. 17, "i

Patrick G. McGowan, Fremont', Mich., assigner 1 to Gerber Productsompany, Fremont,A Mich., 1i g a corporation of Michigan l I Application Deeemhi-"zz, 1947",n 'serial No. 793,199

This invention relates toa cap for. containers and more particularly to a cap for glass or ceramic jars. y The vwide use of glass containers for the processing and marketing of foods has made a safe closuremember for the glass containers an'absolute necessity.I The closure member should, j of course,`tightly seal the, opening ofthe container` to prevent leakage of air therein. In addition to tightly closing: thf, container, l'iovvevengf;,tl'i4 closure member `must be easily and safely jref,V

moaned.. The most' commontype of closure members ordinarily used in packaging jelliesl and similar foods consists of a metallic disk-like cap having its edges spun over a gasket covering the""`rin`1 and part of the outer y'surface of thev glass to seal the container. The spinning of the metallic Icap over the"` gasket may setfupstresses which will cause the container to break' when subjectedfto minor blows. i An additional objection to thereonventional closure is theV dil'culty encountered in removing the cap from the container. ,The highly compressed rubber gasket generally adjheres` strongly to both the capv and the container to interfere with removal of the cap. Some caps which have been'widelyused consist cfa base member which is swaged in position around a rim of the container. A secondary member isthen provided which engages they base member to close the container. The swag/ing or 4 Claims. (61415-38) for a glass container which 'will serve asa guard for the glass surrounding the opening' inthe container.

With these and other objects in mind which will become apparent in the detailed description following, this invention resides in a metallic Yring f which slips over the rimof a glass container and spinning of the base member in contactwitliuthe I* container to produce atight joint sets up stresses-l causing excessive breakage ofrthe container eitheriduring subsequent processing or' when-the container is" opened.' f fj It is `an object of thisinventi'on to provide a safety closure member for glass containers which will minimize fragmentation of the glassduring processinghand use of the container. f

Anotherfobject' of this invention is rto provide a closure member which is held in'positionbyfa vacuum within the container and an adhesive material. j" A further object of this invention is to' provide a capwhich may beeasily removed without de-V stroying the cap and whichmay be used asa cover for the container after the container'has oncebeen opened.

Still another object of this invention "is tocp'froi"v is heldin place bya compressible gasketf engaging on the metallic ring andfisheldl inplace by ad-" hesive between thering and thecap and-)the vacuum within the containeri 1 lIn the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of constructed according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of a ring constructed according to this invention in placev around the openingof a container.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional'view" of the closure member constructed according to this invention whenv the container is closed.

Figure 4 is also an enlarged verticaljsectlonal view, similar to Figure 3,V of a modified form of this invention. A j Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of another modified form of this invention.

The closure member of this invention consists of an annular ring, indicated generally by I, in

a can [Figure 2 adapted-to t around the opening of a -container 2.

A cap 3,Mi llustrated in Figure l, ts within the ring l to close the opening of the container. n j

Referring to Figure A37;?ring l is illustrated on a container 2 having a 'rim 4 surrounding,theV mouthoruopening ofthecontainer. 'I'heouter walls 5 of thecontainerpZ slope from thelouter 'edge of rimv 4 to an annular lug `6 extending when the container isjrnade of other ceramic material. Y

A conical annular Vv vall I0 surrounding the sloping outer wall 5 of tlie neck of the container 2 is a part of ring I. ange Hextends inwardly from the upper end of the conical's'ection l0 to provide a substantially'horiontal surface which rests' on the rim jl 0f the container. A

of the container 2 and the vertical wall I4 of ring I. Vertical wall I4 may be rolled inwardly at its lower end, as indicated at I6, to form a support for the bottom of gasketV I5. Wall I4 should extend to a position close enough to shoulder 8 of the container 2 to prevent insertion of kitchen implements between the lower end of the wall and the shoulder toY open the container.

One of the objects of this invention is to avoid use of part of the glass container 2 as a fulcrum in .pryingthe .cap from the container.

Gasket `I5 may be .prepared from any suitable resilient material, but ordinarily rubber will be used. The gasket must be soft enough to be deformed to engage the lug G without exerting excessive pressure on the walls of container 2. Since the flange II merely rests on rim `li, gasket I5 must envelop irregularities in the surface o-f the container .thereby preventingr leakage under ring I. Wall I4 of ring I and lug E on the outer surface of the container 2 will combine yto compress 'the gasket I5 which in turn holds ring `I' firmly in place on the container. The force ofl the gasket I5 againstV the ring urges .the lip I2 against the inner edge I.'I of the rim `i of the container to serve as a bumper guarding it against chipping.

.Ring vI maybe installed on the container 2l without subjecting the container to any lateral stresses which will cause its fragmentation during the subsequent processing of the contents or.

opening of the container. The gasket I5 is slipped in place against the wall I4 and shoulder I3 of ring I before the ring is placed on the con-v tainer. The ring I, with the gasket in place, is then slipped over the end of the container until the flange I I engages the ri-m 4 of the container. At this point the lug 6 will have compressed the gasket I5 to hold the ring firmly in place.. It will.

be noted that the stresses, all of which are of a minor nature, created during the installation of the ring I on the container 2 are downward along the length of the container which is thedirection of itsgreateststrength.- Thereareno lateral stresses s'uchas would be .created by swaging .the ringiiiplace,..

.'Cap'3 is essentially a flat dis'ccovering-the mouth of the container and resting on. the flange II of ring I. Ordinarily, cap -3 will Abe crimped as indicated at I8 immediately inside of the lip I2 to center the cap 3 in position after the con-V tainer has once been opened. The outer wall I9 ofthe crimp I8 may bear lightly against li/p I2 to hold the cap in place after the container has been opened, but the engagement of wall I 9 .with lip I2 is not relied upon to seal the container for protecting the contents during processing and marketing. Wall I9 and lip I2 will form a closure tight enough for ordinary use, such as storage in the ice box, of the container after it has 'been initially opened.

A flat section 20 of the cap rests on the flange II of ring I and has a conical section 2| extending fro-m its outer edge along wall I0 of the ring I, Section 2|, `pressing lightly against the outside of wall I0, counteracts any tendency of wall I9 to stress the container. A flange 22 protrudes outwardly from the lower end of section 2| parallel to shoulder I3 of the ring and spaced therefrom. Preferably, yflange 22 is rolled to double `thickness along its outer edge as indicated at 23 to remove any sharp edges which might cut the Yus-er. Flange y22 isspacedfrom shoulder I3 sufficiently to allow a coin or knife to be inserted therebetween for opening the container. Cap 3 will ordinarily be constructed of a light sheet of metal, such as steel. `In many instances .the lower, center portion covering the 'mouth of the container will be coated'with enamel to avoid contamination of the .contents of rthe container.

It will be noticed that cap 3 merely rests on the flange I I covering the rim -4 of the container. A layero-f sealing compound 2-4 is applied to the upper surface of flange II before cap 3 is placed thereon. The sealing compound 24 acts as an adhesive. holding4 thecap 3' and the ringI together and also fills any irregularities in the cap or the ring to provide an effective 'closure for the container. in addition to the sealing compound 24, capV 3 is heldin place 'by vacuum within the container. The force of `the vacuum against the cap urges the cap directly against the ri-m `II of the container. Here again, any stresses are directed along the length of the container which is the direction of its 4greatest'strength.

The usual method of 'installing the cap is to :partially evacuate the contain'erby directing a blast of steam across itsmouth and immediately placing the cap-in the position indicated in Figure 3. The vacuum within the container combines with the sealing composition, which is ordinarily a rubber adhesive, to hold the cap firmly in position. If it is necessary to Vcook or other- -wise process the cont-ents which'have been placed in the container before the capcloses the container, the cooking may be accomplished in a .pressure vessel. The pressure on the outside of the container 2 will counteract any pressure developed in the container during processing and hold the cap in place. After the material in the container has been cooled .sufficiently to reduce the .pressure therein below atmospheric, the pressure on the outside of the container maybe released. Cap 3 is thenfheld firmly in Iplace by the sealingcomposition S24 and the vacuum within the contain-er.

When it is desired to open the container, it is merely necessary 'to insert some object between the flange'22 andthe shoulder. I3 and .twist the object to force those parts apart. During the opening procedure, it is 'not possible yto subject the container .to .any torquevor lateral stresses.

Any Ipressure exerted vagainst should-er I3 is fully.

cushioned by the gasket I5 before it is transmitted to the walls of the container 2.

Referring to Figure 5 a modified form of the invention is illustrated in which a container 30 has a rim 3| surrounding its mouth. In this form of the invention the Iouter wall 32 of the container is vertical withthe exception of a lug 33 similar to lug 5 in Figure 3. A ring, indicated generally -by 34, having a flange 35 fitting against the rim 3l with a lip 36 engaging the inner corner Iof the rim fts over the upper end of the container. Along the outer edge of ange 35 is an annular bead 3l which joins the flange 35 with a vertical section 38 of the ring 34. A shoulder 39 extends laterally from the lower end of the sec-v tion 38 similar to shoulder I3 in Figure 3.

A disc-like cap 40 covers the `opening of the container and rests on the flange 35 of ring 34. Cap 40 has a shoulder 4I which engages the lip 36 around the inner edge of flange 35. Cap 40 is rolled around its outer edge to form a concave surface 42 which engages bead 31. A iange 43 extends laterally from the lower end of the curved surface to facilitate removal of the cap.

The bead 31 and concave surface 42 of the structure illustrated in Figure 5 combine to hold the cap 40 in place after the container has been L opened. Shoulder 4| of cap 40, by bearing against lip 36 will overcome any force exerted on bead 31 by surface 42; consequently, a structure illustrated in Figure 5 does not set-up any lateral stresses in the container 30. In some instances it may be desirable to provide a bead similar to bead 31 and a concave surface similar to surface 4Z on the closure members illustrated in Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings. This structure is particularly desirable on large containers where all of the contents wont be used at one time. Leakage between cap 43 and ring 34- is prevented by sealing composition 44 on the upper surface of flange 35. The structure illustrated in Figure 5, like the structure illustrated in Figure 3, relies on the vacuum within the container and the sealing composition to hold the cap in place.

Figure 4 illustrates a modification of this invention similar to Figure 3 with the exception that the lip 50, corresponding to lip I2 in Figure 3, extends well into the mouth of the container 5I. This form of the invention is especially suitable for large glass containers which might have the inner edge 52 of the rim 53 chipped as the contents are scraped from the container.

A safety closure member for glass containers has been described herein. The closure member may be installed without setting up stresses in the container which may cause its fragmentation when subjected to heat or pressure during processing of the contents. The closure member is held tightly in place without bearing against the lateral walls of the container. Moreover, the cap forming part of the closure member may be easily .removed without exerting appreciable torque or pressure on the container.

The closure member comprising this invention has been described herein with reference to specie details of a particular structure. It is to be understood that the scope of this invention is not limited to those specic details, but is limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a glass, ceramic, etc. container having a mouth surrounded by a rim and a shoulder adjacent thereto; a reusable closure member comprising a. ring including a ange covering the rim, said ring including a shoulder having a side extending toward and terminating closely adjacent the container shoulder to prevent the insertion of a tool therebetween, a gas- 6 ket compressed between the container and said ring for frictionally securing the latter in position on the sides of the container, a cap closing the mouth of the container and including an outer iiange terminating adjacent to but spaced from said ring shoulder to permit the insertion of a closure-removing tool therebetween, and adhesive means sealing said cap to said ring flange.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 Wherein complementary bead portions are formed in the outer portion of said ring flange and the adjacent portion of said cap to form a snap connection therebetween for reuse of said cap.

3. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein an annular crimp is formed in said cap, and said ring flange includes a lip covering a portion of the inner wall of the container to receive the crimp and center the cap.

4. In combination with a glass, ceramic, etc. container having a mouth surrounded by a rim and a shoulder adjacent thereto; a reusable closure member comprising a ring including a flange covering the rim, said ring including a shoulder having a side extending toward and terminating closely adjacent the container shoulder to prevent the insertion of a tool therebetween, a gasket compressed between the container and said ring for frictionally securing the latter in position on the sides of the container, a cap closing the mouth of the container and including an outer flange terminating adjacent to but spaced from said ring shoulder to permit the insertion of a closure-removing tool therebetween, and adhesive means sealing said cap to said ring flange, said ring and said gasket being slidable over the rim into operative position against the container shoulder.

PATRICK G. MCGOWAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 333,716 Ashby Jan. 5, 1886 681,132 Norton Aug. 20, 1901 751,313 Maranville Feb. 2, 1904 389,493 Anderson June 2, 1908 1,167,519 Potter Jan. 11. 1916 1,199,110 Potter Sept. 26, 1916 1,762,342 Merolle et al. June 10, 1930 1,998,869 Hammer Apr. 23, 1935 2,096,428 Hogg et al. Oct. 19, 1937 2,099,056 Ferngren Nov. 16, 1931 2,102,440 Sebell Dec. 14, 1937 2,263,691 Enkur Nov. 25, 1941 2,308,126 Stover et al. Jan. 12, 1943 2,330,046 Glocker Sept. 21, 1943 2,339,827 White Jan. 25, 1944 2,340,568 Sebell Feb. 1, 1944 2,364,678 White Dec. 12, 1944 

